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Professionalism in EMS
The publication is issued by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, as authorized by Terry Cline, PhD, Commissioner of Health and Secretary of Health and Human Services. Copies have not been printed but are available on the Oklahoma State Department of Health website at www.health.ok.gov Newsletters will be found at - Protective Health - Trauma Division - Newsletters
Page 1
Volume 3, Issue 2
October 2013
OSDH / EMERGENCY SYSTEMS NEWSLETTER
Upcoming Meetings
4th Quarter 2013
RTAB
1 10/22/2013
2 11/04/2013
3 10/03/2013
4 10/24/2013
5 11/14/2013
6 11/19/2013
7 10/01/2013
8 10/08/2013
CQI
1 10/22/2013
2/4/7 12/12/2013
3 12/05/2013
5 11/14/2013
6/8 Cancelled
MAC, OTSIDAC and
OERSDAC will be
dissolved on
November 1, 2013
The OTSIDAC and
OERSDAC are being
replaced by a seven
Member Board.
When asked to write an article on Professionalism in the EMS industry, I began looking back at my 30 plus years in EMS and how it has evolved over the years. Has our desire for comfort and familiarity with those we work with on a daily basis caused EMS to become too lax and unprofessional to the outside observer? Let’s step back and examine three areas of professionalism and see how we measure up: appearance, our interactions with others, and our overall attitude. In the 1980s, EMS services, Fire Departments and Police Departments had strict uniform policies. Everyone wore a pressed, button-up shirt with short sleeves during the Spring and Summer and long sleeves during the Fall and Winter. By the late 1990s, EMS and Fire had introduced collared polo shirts for the Spring and Summer months. And more recently, many services are allowing t-shirts to be worn. Although they certainly are cooler and easier to launder, is your appearance as “professional” when dressed more casually? In addition, it seems that wrinkled and stained shirts and pants are becoming “acceptable”. Can or does this affect our professional appearance in the eye of the public? Have you seen a physician, nurse or Health Care CEO consistently wearing wrinkled or stained clothes? Odds are you have not. Most of these people go the extra mile and keep another change of clothes around in case they need to change. What you would think if you arrived at the hospital for a procedure and the physician greeted you in wrinkled, stained clothing or a faded and stretched out t-shirt and dirty shoes? Would you want to go ahead with the procedure? Would you question whether the care they’re providing you is as sloppy as their dress? Would you begin to question their “professionalism”? It’s very important that our patients see us as the professionals we are. Let’s make sure our appearance projects that professionalism and doesn’t deter from it. We also need to think about how we talk around patients and fellow medical professionals. We need to always introduce ourselves and our partner. We should address the patient by their name, not “honey”, “sugar” or other terms of endearment. When you give report to a physician or nurse, call them by his or her name and refer to the patients by using their first and last name. Because we work with the same people on a regular basis, we sometimes get in the habit of saying “hey doc or nurse”. That does not show respect to that person or their profession. If we want to be treated as professionals, we need to treat those we work with as professionals also. Lastly, let’s talk about our attitude. EMS is really all about performing a service to the public. We respond to calls for help and serve those in need. Some of these calls are critical patients who need emergent care. However, all too often, the calls we receive are non-emergent in our eyes. How we respond to these calls and how we treat these patients is still a critical part of our job. In addition, how many times have you been at the end of your shift and received a call? How was your attitude about the call or toward the patient? Did you greet the patient with a smile and concern about their complaint or did you enter the call with a scowl and grumbling at the patient and your fellow EMS providers? Which of these attitudes give the patient a comfort that they’re being taken care of by a professional? Remember that we’re here to serve that “shift change patient” just as we are the critical patient we treated earlier in the day. Arriving at the scene, listening to the patient’s complaint and treating to the best of our ability will insure the patient and their family sees you as a professional. We are professionals and the EMS industry is a professional industry. Let’s all strive to look, act and be a professional every day and in every situation. Let’s respect others and we will be respected in turn. David Graham EMS Administrator

Professionalism in EMS
The publication is issued by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, as authorized by Terry Cline, PhD, Commissioner of Health and Secretary of Health and Human Services. Copies have not been printed but are available on the Oklahoma State Department of Health website at www.health.ok.gov Newsletters will be found at - Protective Health - Trauma Division - Newsletters
Page 1
Volume 3, Issue 2
October 2013
OSDH / EMERGENCY SYSTEMS NEWSLETTER
Upcoming Meetings
4th Quarter 2013
RTAB
1 10/22/2013
2 11/04/2013
3 10/03/2013
4 10/24/2013
5 11/14/2013
6 11/19/2013
7 10/01/2013
8 10/08/2013
CQI
1 10/22/2013
2/4/7 12/12/2013
3 12/05/2013
5 11/14/2013
6/8 Cancelled
MAC, OTSIDAC and
OERSDAC will be
dissolved on
November 1, 2013
The OTSIDAC and
OERSDAC are being
replaced by a seven
Member Board.
When asked to write an article on Professionalism in the EMS industry, I began looking back at my 30 plus years in EMS and how it has evolved over the years. Has our desire for comfort and familiarity with those we work with on a daily basis caused EMS to become too lax and unprofessional to the outside observer? Let’s step back and examine three areas of professionalism and see how we measure up: appearance, our interactions with others, and our overall attitude. In the 1980s, EMS services, Fire Departments and Police Departments had strict uniform policies. Everyone wore a pressed, button-up shirt with short sleeves during the Spring and Summer and long sleeves during the Fall and Winter. By the late 1990s, EMS and Fire had introduced collared polo shirts for the Spring and Summer months. And more recently, many services are allowing t-shirts to be worn. Although they certainly are cooler and easier to launder, is your appearance as “professional” when dressed more casually? In addition, it seems that wrinkled and stained shirts and pants are becoming “acceptable”. Can or does this affect our professional appearance in the eye of the public? Have you seen a physician, nurse or Health Care CEO consistently wearing wrinkled or stained clothes? Odds are you have not. Most of these people go the extra mile and keep another change of clothes around in case they need to change. What you would think if you arrived at the hospital for a procedure and the physician greeted you in wrinkled, stained clothing or a faded and stretched out t-shirt and dirty shoes? Would you want to go ahead with the procedure? Would you question whether the care they’re providing you is as sloppy as their dress? Would you begin to question their “professionalism”? It’s very important that our patients see us as the professionals we are. Let’s make sure our appearance projects that professionalism and doesn’t deter from it. We also need to think about how we talk around patients and fellow medical professionals. We need to always introduce ourselves and our partner. We should address the patient by their name, not “honey”, “sugar” or other terms of endearment. When you give report to a physician or nurse, call them by his or her name and refer to the patients by using their first and last name. Because we work with the same people on a regular basis, we sometimes get in the habit of saying “hey doc or nurse”. That does not show respect to that person or their profession. If we want to be treated as professionals, we need to treat those we work with as professionals also. Lastly, let’s talk about our attitude. EMS is really all about performing a service to the public. We respond to calls for help and serve those in need. Some of these calls are critical patients who need emergent care. However, all too often, the calls we receive are non-emergent in our eyes. How we respond to these calls and how we treat these patients is still a critical part of our job. In addition, how many times have you been at the end of your shift and received a call? How was your attitude about the call or toward the patient? Did you greet the patient with a smile and concern about their complaint or did you enter the call with a scowl and grumbling at the patient and your fellow EMS providers? Which of these attitudes give the patient a comfort that they’re being taken care of by a professional? Remember that we’re here to serve that “shift change patient” just as we are the critical patient we treated earlier in the day. Arriving at the scene, listening to the patient’s complaint and treating to the best of our ability will insure the patient and their family sees you as a professional. We are professionals and the EMS industry is a professional industry. Let’s all strive to look, act and be a professional every day and in every situation. Let’s respect others and we will be respected in turn. David Graham EMS Administrator